Art Show Delves Into the Surreal

More than 20 surrealist paintings will be on display at the “Supernatural” exhibition, which will run through Monday at the 43 Art Gallery on 43rd Street in Yangon.

YANGON — For those tired of landscapes and portraits, an ongoing exhibition in Yangon is showcasing something a little more uncanny.

“Supernatural” features the creative works of five surrealists exploring other aspects of human life.

Surrealism is not new to Myanmar, but few surrealists have emerged here since the movement began abroad in the 1920s.

One of the reasons is the decades of draconian censorship on art and the press imposed by the previous military junta, said the show’s curator, Lu Maw Han, a surrealist himself.

“Young surrealists have come together for this exhibition, and we’ve also invited veteran surrealist San Minn,” he said. “So this event is a blend of youth and experience.”

One of San Minn’s paintings depicts a traffic policeman. He has used bright colors, as usual. But in place of his head are traffic lights.

“I’ve long wanted to do something about traffic lights,” said San Minn, to comment on Yangon’s notorious traffic congestion. “Through this painting, I want to send the message that men and machines are somehow the same in principle.”